Fantasy: Immortality Begins with Absorbing Demons

Chapter 608 Shocking Change (Part 3)

Zhong Yunxiu also contributed 40,000 shi of grain and a medium-sized meat field.

Although it wasn't a large amount, compared to the amount handed over by others, it could only be considered below average.

However, before that, the Nine Turns Sect was only considered to be of medium to low strength in Jing Tian Manor, or even at the bottom. This was more than half of its accumulated strength over the years.

Zhong Han also stood behind Zhong Yunxiu, her face extremely ugly.

As the daughter of the sect leader, she naturally knew what giving away these resources meant.

Forty thousand shi of grain and fodder, and a medium-sized meat field. This means that most of the Nine-Bend Gate's savings have been emptied.

In the short term, many disciples will not be able to guarantee their cultivation resources.

If resources are insufficient, morale will decline.

If various resources become insufficient and suitable disciples cannot be recruited, the Nine Turns Sect will begin to decline.

Once it falls behind, it will be difficult for the Nine Turns Sect to have a chance to turn things around in the future.

She tried several times to bring up her mother, but her fingers clenched so tightly they turned white, and she still didn't move.

Kou Hu is clearly trying to force them to bleed heavily, so he must have already figured out their financial situation. If they dare to deceive him in this regard, they will not have a good outcome.

"Senior sister..."

Han Yi noticed that Zhong Han's expression was off and gently reminded her.

The situation is beyond our control.

When the Yue family was subjected to Wen Xi's forced requisition of grain, he thought that such a day might come.

The government troops will not only target ordinary wealthy merchants, but may also target martial arts sects that hoard large amounts of money and grain.

But he never expected that day would come so soon.

In order to cover their tracks, the government troops even found an excuse to gather all the different branches of Jingtian Manor together.

People are knives and servants, and I am fish and meat.

Judging from the aura that Kou Hu just unleashed, he is definitely not an ordinary grandmaster; he has most likely already reached the level of a great grandmaster.

This is an absolute power sufficient to suppress all dissenting voices.

"I see…..."

Zhong Han took a deep breath, composed herself, and forced a smile for Han Yi.

At such crucial moments, it's important to know when to say something and when to keep quiet.

Having handled sect affairs for many years, she naturally knew how to conduct herself appropriately.

After everyone had finished explaining the amount of grain and meat they would contribute, Kou Hu slowly sat down, nodding with satisfaction. "I, Kou Hu, was right. You are all people who understand the bigger picture and prioritize the overall situation. It was worthwhile for me to gather you all here. From now on, we will still need your cooperation in the Huayang City area."

With a wave of his hand, soldiers quickly served everyone tea, snacks, and fruit.

Kou Hu's manner and eloquent words left everyone with no choice but to force a smile and express their agreement.

Just as the atmosphere eased slightly.

Suddenly, another voice spoke.

His voice was aged, yet firm: "The Seven Academies of Jingtian in the past all understood the importance of national affairs. But... Master Zhao, you are not an outsider, you cannot simply ignore this, can you? Wouldn't that chill the hearts of everyone? Don't you agree, Master Zhao?"

It was one of Kou Hu's companions, and the strategist Huangfu Hong asked with a smile.

Although his tone was gentle, the meaning behind his words was murderous, and his target was Zhao Ziyang.

All eyes turned to him. Zhao Ziyang remained unchanged, expressionless and silent.

He seemed oblivious to the stares of others, simply closing his eyes to rest, as if he were completely unaware of everything that had just happened outside.

“Brother Ziyang, you are the leader of this area. If you don’t take the lead, how can you win people’s respect?” Kou Hu looked at Zhao Ziyang and smiled.

A seemingly casual remark carries the weight of a fatal blow to one's spirit.

If Zhao Ziyang does not donate grain and meat, it means he is opposing the government army.

However, if Zhao Ziyang chooses to donate the grain and meat, it would undoubtedly mean that Jingtian Manor's status is now the same as the seven branch mansions that have split off.

This means that Jingtian Manor, in name only, no longer exists.

"..."

Zhao Ziyang only opened his eyes after hearing Kou Hu speak. He knew all too well that Kou Hu had malicious intentions.

But he had no choice.

After a moment of silence, he finally spoke in a somber tone: "I... Jingtian Manor... 100,000 shi of grain and two top-quality meat fields... I wish the government army a great victory in advance."

As soon as he finished speaking, the others erupted in an uproar.

Zhao Ziyang's answer undoubtedly meant that he chose to completely sever ties with the other seven academies.

From this day forward, Jingtian Manor is Jingtian Manor, and the other seven courtyards are seven different sects.

"…What a decisive move!" Even Kou Hu couldn't help but sigh inwardly, "To endure when one can, and to make a decisive move when one must…truly worthy of the title of Upper Azure Dragon…"

He had originally intended to press Zhao Ziyang and test his reaction. But now that he saw the other man wasn't taking the bait, he had to swallow his pride.

"Brother Ziyang is so sensible and knows the bigger picture. He is a well-read man with a strong sense of patriotism, which is admirable. Come on, everyone, let's not sit still. Let's eat and drink."

The military supplies, including food and meat, had been almost collected, so Kou Hu stopped worrying about it and, with a smile on his face, started offering drinks.

According to previous intelligence, the resources stockpiled by the various branches of Jingtian Manor have been almost completely exhausted. From now on, they only need to harvest them periodically, which will be enough to sustain the Manor's army.

After three drinks.

The scene gradually became turbulent.

Even before the Seven Jingtian Academies were separated, there were already many frictions and struggles between them.

Furthermore, during the banquet, Huangfu Hong and Kou Hu repeatedly brought up controversial topics and sowed discord among the guests.

Now that they are completely separated, the conflicts have fully erupted.

Some of them even harbored grudges and took the opportunity to hurl insults at each other, hurling accusations at each other. The fact that the manor lord, Zhao Ziyang, witnessed all of this and remained indifferent was also observed by Kou Hu and his group.

"Wine without music is hardly enjoyable. We have long heard that the Seven Masters of Jingtian are all renowned for their unique skills. Seeing is believing, so why don't you all show us your skills and let us witness them for ourselves?"

Huangfu Hong squinted and took the opportunity to add fuel to the fire.

The government troops, as the direct instigators of the separation of Jingtian Manor, were happy to see this happen. The discord and numerous conflicts among the seven courtyards of Jingtian were closely related to the government troops' covert instigation.

The once noisy hall suddenly fell silent.

The seven heads of the academy looked at each other, none of them speaking first.

There is a significant conflict between them.

But the conflict is just that—conflict. It stems from their long-standing differences in values ​​and interests, and ultimately, it's just an internal conflict between them.

As members of the Jingtian Manor lineage, they have always maintained a bond of friendship. Huangfu Hong's words, however, were undoubtedly intended to incite them to fight and completely sever that bond.

"Since you all are reluctant to let go, then let me experience the so-called Heavenly Evolution True Skill."

Seeing that no one spoke, Fang Jiulian grinned, suddenly stepped out from next to Kou Hu, and walked to the middle of the hall.

"Whether you come one or two, three or four, or a whole group, I'll just be one person. You can't still worry, can you? You can't just say…"

He flashed a gleaming white tooth: "Jingtian Manor, one of the five major powers in Yunzhou... are they all cowards?"

Immediately, the crowd in the hall erupted in excitement.

There is no good feast.

As you can see, tonight's banquet...

First, Kou Hu was tasked with procuring military supplies, collecting grain and meat, and harvesting resources. Second, and more importantly, he aimed to establish his authority.

Through various means, the relationship between the former seven heads of the academy was divided, allowing the government army to become the only dominant force, suppressing all other forces, establishing absolute authority, and ultimately ensuring that there was only one voice in Huayang City.

Kou Hu's initial probing and Huangfu Hong's verbal provocations were all for this purpose.

It was only because the results were unsatisfactory that Fang Jiulian suffered this humiliation.

His words were indeed effective.

People were afraid of Kou Hu, not Fang Jiulian.

Therefore, as soon as Fang Jiulian finished speaking, some disciples immediately stood up and started cursing.

The current leaders of the seven sects glared angrily, filled with resentment.

"I'll meet you for a minute!"

Jiang Yucheng, the leader of the Floating Light Sect, slammed his fist on the table and stood up angrily.

He was tall and strong, as imposing as a general. He already had a bad temper, and had been holding back his anger. Now, provoked by Fang Jiulian, he couldn't hold back any longer.

A faint blue aura of true energy appeared on Jiang Yucheng's face, and feather-like blue patterns gradually spread across his body, like vines, emerging from his neck downwards.

With a gentle push, he appeared behind Fang Jiulian in the blink of an eye.

Although Jiang Yucheng was strong, he was extremely fast. Most people couldn't even see his speed; they would only feel a gentle breeze on their face, and in a flash, his figure would disappear.

It gives the impression of an elephant, but displays the speed of a cheetah.

The stark contrast is so unsettling that it makes one want to vomit blood.

To everyone else, Fang Jiulian seemed to be standing there dumbfounded, as if he hadn't even realized what was happening.

Jiang Yucheng then reached out with both hands to grab Fang Jiulian's vital points. This grab was as fast as lightning, completely revealing his formidable strength.

He had mastered the true skills of the Floating Light Sect, and his lotus-like leaping technique had reached its highest level.

The true form he chose was naturally the Blue Phoenix True Form, which was most suitable for the Lotus Leap Technique and was known for its speed.

As he exhaled and exhaled his pale blue true energy, a blue bird suddenly appeared between his claws and pecked at Fang Jiulian's neck.

boom! ! !

Fang Jiulian stood still, when suddenly a burst of bloody light exploded from his body.

"This is...?!" Jiang Yucheng was stunned.

His true energy was instantly absorbed the moment it came into contact with the blood-red light, as if it had sunk into the sea.

A powerful recoil force suddenly struck.

"Is this all the magnanimity you have...?"

A sigh reached my ears.

A layer of blood appeared on Fang Jiulian's arm, and he unleashed a terrifying speed. His punch seemed to have been prepared for a long time, and in an instant, it directly hit Jiang Yucheng's abdomen.

Layer upon layer of blue protective energy shattered even Jiang Yucheng's physical defenses with a single punch.

Bang! ! !

Even faster than when he arrived, Jiang Yucheng was sent flying and crashed heavily into the wall of the hall.

call…...

The hall shook, the golden chandelier swayed, and the light and shadow became disordered.

"Master!"

The two disciples that Jiang Yucheng brought rushed over to check on him, crying out in distress.

The crimson true energy still lingered on his abdomen, corroding a large hole. Strangely, no blood flowed out, and even the surrounding flesh appeared an odd pale white.

Fortunately, Jiang Yucheng still had a little bit of life left, and with Lan Fengluan's true body spontaneously recovering, her wounds slowly began to heal.

"Things that are low-class... will always remain low-class..."

Fang Jiulian gently lowered his arm and looked at the others.

"Can't we do something more interesting? You, you, and you, all of you come on in!"

He arrogantly pointed at several people in succession.

The contempt in his tone and the arrogance in his manner were evident.

The Nine-Bend Gate, where the gate master Zhong Yunxiu was located.

"This is outrageous! This is outrageous!" Even Qian Shuo, the usually good-tempered leader of the Chongyin Sect, who always had narrow eyes and dressed like a wealthy man, was so angry that his lips turned white and his whole body trembled.

"I'll show you that even if my Jingtian Manor is split up, you can't insult me!" Qian Shuo roared, and several golden threads shot towards Fang Jiulian from all directions.

However, his strength was inferior to Jiang Yucheng's.

In just one round, his true form was shattered, and he collapsed to the ground, where his disciple dragged him back.

"Disappointing! What do you mean by disappointing? This is disappointing!" Fang Jiulian's gaze swept over everyone, and he said with disappointment, "Jingtian Manor is one of the five major martial arts forces in Yunzhou. I originally respected it quite a bit. I privately thought that it was normal for a prestigious sect to have some minor flaws."

But now, looking at your Jingtian Manor, from top to bottom, it's rotten to the core. Having real skills, martial arts techniques, and resources is all in vain; the roots are rotten, so nothing works.

Even compared to the evil Green-Clad Alliance, your Jingtian Manor lacks their courage and cohesion. Cowardice, selfishness, and shortsightedness are the highest compliments you could receive.

Looking at the group of people from Jingtianzhuang in front of him, he felt utterly bored.

Compared to when they captured the Green-Clad Alliance, Xia Yingying sacrificed herself to protect her comrades, while Qiu Xiaoxiao even recklessly self-destructed to seek revenge.

These renowned masters of Jingtian Manor are nothing but empty names.

As expected, the previous methods were too mild.

Fang Jiulian thought this to himself.

"You...?!" Upon hearing Fang Jiulian's insult, Zhong Yunxiu's eyebrows furrowed, and she stood up abruptly in agitation.

She couldn't hold back any longer.

As the wife of the former manor lord, Zhong Yunxiu has a deeper and more complex feeling towards Jingtian Manor.

She was one of the people least willing to see Jingtian Manor split up.

I hate that iron cannot become steel.

However, the division of Jingtian Village was inevitable, and Zhao Ziyang didn't care about anything. As a weak woman, she was powerless to do anything about it.

But even if Jingtian Manor splits up, it's already a done deal.

Zhong Yunxiu still harbored a glimmer of hope. She hoped that one day, a peerless genius would reunite the seven academies and revitalize Jingtian Manor.

Therefore, when Fang Jiulian spoke so rudely, she was immediately filled with a nameless rage.

Even though she knew she was no match for Fang Jiulian, she couldn't swallow this insult.

"Master, if it doesn't work, I'll go. It's not shameful to lose."

Just as Zhong Yunxiu was about to step forward, Han Yi grabbed her sleeve and said softly.

This is a good opportunity, a good opportunity to openly test Fang Jiulian's strength.

Fang Jiulian's purpose was merely to establish his authority; under the watchful eyes of everyone, he couldn't bring himself to kill.

Besides, even if they went all out, Han Yi was confident he could handle it.